I found that having a group conference with my classmates after finishing the annotated bibliography for my inquiry project was a useful exercise. Based on both my experiences in the classroom so far and on the research I studied in order to write my assignment, I shifted my topic from focusing on the intersections between active learning and relationship-based teaching, to examining how social and emotional learning and relationship-based strategies could help improve classroom management. I made this change mainly because I wished to better fit my inquiry with what I see as my personal areas of strength and personal opportunities for growth. In addition, my successful experience of implementing a box for my practicum classroom which allows students to write down and privately submit any answers they have to the statement “I wish my teacher knew…” makes me wonder how such strategies can not only help students air their concerns and feel more supported and connected to their teachers, but can also help improve the behaviour of the classroom as a whole. This initiative was based on the original “I wish my teacher knew…” project spearheaded by Kyle Schwartz (2016, p. 3), and, though it does not appear to be Schwartz’s main focus on the surface, I think that such innovative educators have much advice to give on how to create a well-run classroom without sacrificing any of the emotional support provided to students. Although this transition in my topic occurred before I participated in the group meeting, the discussion that took place among my peers and with my faculty advisor helped solidify the strength of my new inquiry question. Specifically, as my fellow group members discussed their own inquiry processes, I began to connect all of the topics they raised to the theme of positive classroom management. For example, forging strong bonds with the significant figures in a student’s home life can help to understand this student better and thus select a management style that may be most useful for them, and having a strong management style can help make these interactions more positive and timely. To back up these ideas, in his book The Active Teacher, Ron Nash points to the importance of proactively creating positive contact with parents and guardians in order to foster similarly positive classroom relationships and management (2009, p.  19-21). In addition to allowing me to make these connections, the group discussion also led to interesting comparisons between my colleagues’ practicum experiences thus far and my own, and to discussing and thinking about the benefits and drawbacks of building new classroom routines before our long practicums, as I have done with such things as the box and the drama lessons I teach every Thursday morning. Although at first I began to doubt the decisions I had made to jump in so quickly, my faculty advisor reminded us that our job as teacher candidates is not to become mirrors of our school advisors but rather to develop our own educational styles. This showed me that, by taking the leap to infuse my own style into the practicum classroom early on, I had created the ideal opportunity for me to learn to craft my own unique management style, even if this process would come with a few bumps in the road. Overall, this group discussion left me with many points and bits of new knowledge to reflect on and consider.

References

Nash, R. (2009). The Active Teacher: Practical Strategies for Maximizing Teacher Effectiveness.

            Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Schwartz, K. (2016). I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything for

            Our Kids. Boston, MA: Da Capo Lifelong Books.